In the field of acoustical engineering, the design parameters of pressure release and thermal stability have heretofore been opposing factors which have required mutual compromise in constructing electroacoustic transducers. That is, pressure release is obtained by surrounding the faces of the electroacoustic element with gaseous or solid material having low compressional energy transfer ability. Such material generally has very low thermal transfer ability and permits heat build up in the element. Heat, as well understood, has deleterious effects on the efficiency, frequency response, and operational life of the electroacoustic transducer element.
Attempts to cool the element so as to prevent the thermal build-up have resulted in mass loaded heat sinks, oil or other insulating cooling material encapsulation, and other well understood techniques. These arrangements have undesirably modified the free space resonance characteristics of the electroacoustic conversion elements in direct relation to their cooling effectiveness. As a result, the completed transducers of the prior art seldom approached the theoretical performance of the transducer element.